[2.] Tlie simplicity of the style. Though it be full of majesty and authority, yet the naked truth is represented in a plain manner, to the capacity of the meanest : Ps. xix. 7, ' The law of the Lord is perfect,
454 . SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [Ser. XXIX
converting the soul ; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.' As there are deep mysteries which may exercise the greatest wits, so in points necessary the scriptures are so plain and clear that they may be understood by those of the dullest under- standing. Such simplicity with such majesty is a character of their divine original. They speak in such a manner as to feed the greatest, and instruct the meanest ; a child may wade, and an elephant may swim. But this is not all I mean by simplicity, the plainness of the style, but the native beauty of it. Things are nakedly reported, but yet in an affective manner, as if we had been actually present to see them done. Look to the histories of the word, certainly they cannot be fictions, for fictions must either be to delight the fancy, as poetry, or to win the assent for politic ends. There is no such thing in the scriptures ; not poetry, things are delivered in a plain manner ; not policy, to gain a repute to themselves; they still seek to cast the honour upon God, as I shall prove by and by, by the faithfulness of their relations. It is not imitable by art, such a plain genuine relation. For mysteries, there were sophists in the apostle's times. Nihil tani horrendum, quod non dicendo fiat probahile. The fashion was to make absurd horrid things seem probable by the paint and artifice of words, as to prove a gnat better than the sun, or a worm than a man, by plausible arguments. But saith the apostle, 1 Cor. ii. 4, ' My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.' Nor in ostentation of parts, but in simplicity and power ; plain words have a mighty efficacy. Those sophists and orators did only tickle the fancy ; their aim was not ';0 win assent.
[3.] The fidelity of their reports. The penmen of the scripture re- port their own failings, which men will not do. If they must write of themselves, they will be sure to write the best, and not the worst ; but these spared not their own faults. Men naturally labour to cover their own faults, to hide them, to speak well of themselves ; especially they are careful not to leave an ill character of themselves to posterity, nor of their party and faction. Now you shall see Moses spareth not to relate his own weaknesses and miscarriages, his resistance of his call, Exod. iv., nor what a great deal of do God had to bring him into Egypt, to perform his duty to his country. His false pleas show his carnal fear : ver, 19, ' The Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, re- turn into Egypt, for all the men are dead which sought thy life.' His murmuring against God, and speaking unadvisedly with his lips, the idolatry of Aaron, the murmuring of Miriam his sister, God shutting him out of the land of Canaan, and not believing after many miracles : Num. XX. 12, ' And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.' Many such instances may be given, how the pen- men of scripture relate things to their own disparagement: Deut. xxxii. 51, ' Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel, at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin ; be- cause ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.'
[4.] Another quality to be discerned in the manner and form of
VeR. 17.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 455
the scriptures is the harmony and agreement that is to be found in them all along, notwithstanding the diversity of times, places, and persons ; still there is an increase of knowledge, and dispensations rise higher and higher, as the light increaseth till noonday, but there is no difference : Luke i. 70, ' As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.' One mouth, many prophets. They lived in such distant ages, handled such diversity of arguments, yet all conspired in promoting the same truth, which is now revealed to us in the New Testament. There is a great difference of style ; some speak with more loftiness and majesty, others with greater fami- liarity and humility of expression, yet all promoting the same thing. There is a difference in the manner of prosecution, yet an exact har- mony in the substance and essential quality of their writings, not only in their general drift and scope, to set out the glory of God and the good of mankind, but in the matter handled, without any spice of secular vanity, as is to be seen in other writings ; so the one and the same spirit appeareth throughout the whole : 1 Cor. xii. 4, ' Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.' Yea, there is not only a diversity of style, but a different degree of light, according to the increase of God's dispensations ; yet there is a harmony. God's name and style,and the mystery of Christ, was made known to the church by degrees ; the solemn title and style of God was not one and the same from the beginning of the world ; but though they were diverse, yet they were not one contrary to another, but one perfecting the other. He is called by Melchisedek, ' The most high God, possessor of heaven and earth,' Gen. xiv. 19. Afterwards, by reasonof his covenant with Abraham, ^~)ti'~'?l>i, ' God all-sufficient; ' Gen. xvii. 1, ' I am the Almighty God,' or the all-sufficient God ; 'walk before me, and be thou perfect.' Then when he was put to it, he made known himself by the name of Jehovah : Exod. vi. 2, 3, ' And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known unto them.' And after the appropriation of the covenant to the family of the patriarchs, he is called the 'God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob ; ' Exod. iii. 15, ' The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the G«d of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.' Then, upon experience of God's care of them, he is called, Exod. xx. 2, ' The Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage ; ' then ' the Lord, that brought his people out of the north country:' Jer. xxiii. 7, 8, ' Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt ; but. The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land.' Then, when the Sun of righteousness was risen, 'the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:' 1 Peter i. 8, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope,' &c. ; 2 Cor. i. 3, ' Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the